Gilligan “almost certain” Khan won’t triple cycle routes in 3 years

road.cc) Gilligan “almost certain” Khan won’t triple cycle routes in three years Laura Laker December 29 2016 Former London Cycling Commissioner says delays to construction will make it hard for Khan to triple protected cycle routes during this term London’s former cycling commissioner, Andrew Gilligan, says he is “almost certain” Sadiq Khan and his cycling… [Read More]

Former London Cycling Commissioner says delays to construction will make it hard for Khan to triple protected cycle routes during this term

London’s former cycling commissioner, Andrew Gilligan, says he is “almost certain” Sadiq Khan and his cycling team won’t achieve their goal to treble protected cycle routes in London over the next three years.
Among London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s cycling-related election pledges were a tripling the 12 miles of protected cycle routes constructed under former Mayor, Boris Johnson’s term, as well as more Quietways and “Liveable Neighbourhoods”.
Gilligan, who left the post of Johnson’s Cycling Commissioner in May 2016, believes the length of time it is taking to agree on designs, and begin construction, makes achievement of the target unlikely within a single Mayoral term.
However, London’s Deputy Mayor for Transport, Val Shawcross, told road.cc earlier in December the aim of greater consultation is to end the “bikelash” which has hampered construction of London cycle routes in the past, and says that, and more efficient processes within Transport for London (TfL) will make building new cycle routes easier.

Speaking to road.cc prior to Sadiq Khan’s announcement he’d delay a decision over rat-running through Regent’s Park as part of Cycle Superhighway 11 (CS11), Gilligan pointed out it took just over three years to build around 12 miles of cycle routes, and Khan has about the same time to triple that.
“I’m almost certain that a plan to treble the cycle lanes will not be achieved,” Gilligan told road.cc.
He pointed to construction of London’s East-West cycle superhighway, which was originally consulted on in 2014. It took just over three months to analyse and publish consultation results, before Johnson announced a decision to proceed in January 2015; construction started in March, and the route opened in May 2016.